The “Streetcar Named No Desire To Nowhere,” which will radically change our City Scape, must be put to a vote of the University City electorate.

First off, I would like to thank the citizens of University City for having the foresight to narrow Delmar, a change made 50 years ago, that led to and created the vibrant Delmar Loop streetscape we all know today.

That being said, why are their always calls to put public transportation projects to a public vote, but never highway projects? Also, only a portion of the Loop Trolley route goes through University City; the majority of the route travels through the City of St. Louis. As much as I sympathize with reasons of its critics, the Loop Trolley should not be held hostage by a city that has so little at stake and so much to gain from the streetcar’s construction and implementation.

Of greater and severe importance — can we the 35,000 people of University City financially afford the lawsuits which will come due to the Public Safety Factor which will develop as a result of the First Responders creeping behind a streetcar while attempting to answer a call to save a life or put out a house fire? Frankly, I would hate to be a resident of Parkview Subdivision under this trolley plan. My life and property would be in jeopardy.

What is it about rail-based public transit that makes seemingly ordinary and smart people suddenly so fearful and paranoid?

My favorite parts are 1) her baseless assertion that the trolley will endanger peoples’ lives by delaying first responders (any precedent?), and 2) that loud, smoke-billowing DOUBLE-DECKER BUSES would somehow be more traffic-efficient and provide better ambiance than a trolley (because buses have such a great reputation in Saint Louis). If you’re going to be a NIMBY, at least try to come up with half-believable complaints.

Imran

Not to mention, traffic on delmar is slow anyway, by design. How do the First responders get around now?

DelmarLoopLover

The part that makes no sense about Elsie’s complaint is that she says this issue needs to be put to a vote… it already has been put to a vote, and passed! So I guess I fail to see what the issue is from her point of view, on why we would need to re-vote on something that has already been decided. Maybe Elsie suffers from “convenient memory” and only remembers what she wants to remember. This project has been being worked on for the past 15 years, and she just all of a sudden wants to stop the project a few months before they start construction? Interesting what crazy things people rationalize in their own minds, it never ceases to amaze me.

Stlplanr

If Metro were aggressively pursuing more quality bus improvements, especially following the increased tax receipts from Prop M-3, then maybe you wouldn’t see such posturing.